Kevin Durant Is Inspired By LeBron James To Elevate His Game

Miami Heat's LeBron James was ranked No.1 and Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant was ranked No.2 in ESPN NBA player rankings"

Miami Heat's LeBron James is playing at an extremely high level and with his recent historic accomplishments, only inspires Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant to raise his game as well.

Heading into the All-Star break, James has made the race for MVP a one-man contest. He's grabbing all the headlines after logging an NBA record six straight games with at least 30 points while shooting 60 percent or better from the floor.

Durant has taken notice of LeBron's recent accomplishments and says he's always trying to raise the bar on his own level of play, and James only provides more inspiration for him to get better.

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By comparison, the three-time NBA scoring champion Durant is having a tremendous season of his own. The forward is averaging 29 points, seven rebounds and four assists while shooting 52 percent. He also hit those numbers of 30 points while shooting 60 percent or better from the floor five times this season.

The two top vote-getters in last season's MVP balloting will play Thursday night when Durant's Oklahoma City Thunder host James' Miami Heat.

In an era where rivalries have since faded, for fans, Thursday's meeting should be a treat as two of the league's top players, at the peak of their careers, battle it out.